


raise your hands and testify

by strixarc



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Gen, Hostile CyberLife, Jericho (Detroit: Become Human), Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Canon, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 00:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15327393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strixarc/pseuds/strixarc
Summary: When it comes to CyberLife, Connor is certain of two things:1. They cannot be reasoned with.2. Their newest model will definitely kill him.





	1. bind my hands that they may do no evil

“RK800, thank you for agreeing to meet me here. I am RK900, the android sent by CyberLife to talk with you today.”

As Connor approached the street corner, tucking his face slightly deeper into his thin gray scarf to combat the frigid February air, he could hear the voice ring out with an unsurprising but still startling clarity. The android turned on his booted heel, careful not to slip on the ice that had formed over the sidewalk and blinked to rid his artificial eyelashes of the snowflakes that had innocently been caught there. He could see a man standing there – a man with a striking resemblance to himself – and took a steadying breath. RK900: his successor and the machine that had replaced him when he had become a deviant. RK900 had requested his presence via an encrypted, wireless message – they were to meet at one o’clock sharp on Tuesday afternoon in one of Detroit’s smaller inner-city areas, somewhere public and unassuming.

Connor had been understandably suspicious, but the curiosity that took hold of him upon receiving the message from the other android had overwhelmed his sense of wariness. He was still wary, incredibly so, but he hadn’t expected RK900 to want to meet him somewhere. He knew that the unit likely didn’t possess the ability to become a deviant: Connor had still automatically been reporting information about system instabilities back to researchers at CyberLife. They had  _ expected _ him to become deviant, he had discovered after discussing the issue with other members of Jericho, and had been using his inner turmoil in order to ensure that their official RK unit was practically incapable of becoming the same way. It made sense, Connor supposed, but it still agitated and unsettled him to think that the company merely saw him as yet another statistic that fell to the virus of deviancy.

Jericho wasn’t currently on good terms with CyberLife at all, either. After the stunt Connor pulled in November, infiltrating the CyberLife tower and converting the thousands of androids stored in the built-in warehouse of the building, it was fair to say that the corporation was less than pleased with their experimental investment. Negotiations with the corporation had been tense and even though the public opinion was relatively positive, the company was still working behind the scenes to scrub deviancy out of their minds like one would remove a parasite from its host. Connor had no doubt in his mind that CyberLife wanted to permanently dismantle and destroy every single deviant, including every android at Jericho – this had seriously stunted Markus’s willingness to schedule meetings with the company. They were far too hostile and dangerous to be reasoned with, so Jericho had largely stopped trying. As long as the public were content, deviancy would go nowhere; unfortunately, this means that the covert battle with CyberLife would likely last a long while. Luckily, Jericho had the up-till-then latest and greatest model. Connor was prepared to do anything in order to protect his new family, but he couldn’t help be concerned when CyberLife had rolled out its newest line of androids: especially the newest RK unit.

He had resented his successor when he first saw the grandiose unveiling on a broadcast; meanwhile Connor was holed up in a dirty, abandoned warehouse with the surviving members of Jericho. He had seen the sleek contours of the blindingly white jacket, those cool blue-gray eyes scanning the faces of the audience. The new model was broader, stronger, built to be sturdier and more effective than Connor ever was. He was just the prototype, after all, made to roll out the carpet for RK900. At the time, Connor had been fine with that: he had been complacent and obediently reporting back any bugs he was experiencing, anything that needed to be fixed for the new model. But now, the idea of being created just to be a lab rat…he would be lying if he said it didn’t sting a little. He had heard that the RK900 units were to be used exclusively with task forces in higher bureaus than the ones he himself had been a part of. Markus and Simon sat with him and they watched the CyberLife executives read off the laundry list of things the new model could do – most of those things he could do as well, but RK900 could do them  _ faster _ and  _ better _ . Simon, thankfully, turned off the broadcast before Connor could fully entrench himself in the depths of self-pity.

But, as he looked upon the face of the android in person and saw those features that looked so much like his own, the long-since-faded envy seemed so far away. Connor shoved his hands deeper into the warm pockets of the leather jacket Hank had loaned him and pulled his head back so the scarf would fall to uncover the lower part of his face.

“I take it you didn’t want to meet for a nice cup of coffee,” he stated dryly. The other android didn’t even blink at the attempt at humor, mouth keeping the same tight line it had thus-far.

“Unfortunately not,” RK900 clasped his hands behind his back and straightened his spine to stand at his full height. He was nearly a head taller than Connor and the older android resisted rolling his eyes – was it really necessary to make the damn thing  _ taller _ than him, too? “I requested you to meet me here today simply to talk. If you find that acceptable.”

Something about the way RK900 raised an eyebrow expectantly with the vaguest hint of a threat behind it made Connor’s skin crawl irritably, but he expertly hid it behind the mask of indifference. He didn’t say anything, but spared the other android a curt nod after a moment and lowered his eyes to the ground.

“Wonderful,” RK900 turned slightly and gestured to the sidewalk before them. “Let’s take a walk.”

Walking with the upgraded model of himself was nothing short of uncomfortable. Everything about the way the other android moved and talked as they automatically ran through basic pleasantries was so familiar yet so grotesquely  _ different _ . Both knew that they were sent out by their respective organizations to gather as much information as possible, but the air was charged with more than just the pressure of performing their task well. They were taking the opportunity to size up each other, to see the ace in the hole of the opposite side. Logically, Connor knew that RK900 was superior to him in every aspect: the man could easily capture him or kill him, but the older android knew that the RK unit was chained to a sense of duty that CyberLife instilled in him from conception. He knew because he had once been on that same leash. The other android would only act in accordance strictly as he was told and the fact that Connor wasn’t dead already meant that CyberLife didn’t  _ want _ him dead. At least, not  _ yet _ . For now, Connor was safe – but he still couldn’t let his guard down.

“RK800, I-”

“Connor,” he interrupted, shooting a glance at the other android who seemed taken aback momentarily. “Just Connor. I’m done with formalities when it comes to CyberLife.”

“… _ Connor _ , then. CyberLife has sent me, as you likely know, to collect information on the notion of deviancy and the presence of Jericho in the public eye. Your cooperation is personally preferred, but any information you do not voluntarily share will be gathered through other means – regardless of your involvement,” RK900 paused, analyzing the expressionless face of the deviant before him. “I have been instructed not to cause you any bodily harm and I would suggest you refrain from doing the same to me.”

“How kind of you,” Connor muttered and met the eye of the other RK unit. “What’s your name?”

“My name?” RK900 allowed his neutral façade to break momentarily in order to show his mild surprise. “My superiors have dubbed me ‘Caleb’. Though I don’t see how that is in any way pertinent to our conversation.”

“Caleb,” Connor breathed the name out into the cold air as he stopped walking for several seconds and RK900 – Caleb – raised an eyebrow in response, something untraceable flashing behind those stormy blue eyes. “An interesting name.”

“Connor, please. If we could go back to the matter at hand,” Caleb put his hand squarely on Connor’s back to gently push him forward, encouraging the other man to walk with him again. “Once I have collected a sufficient amount of data, I will let you get back to your daily routine; whatever that may be. I don’t intend to keep you long.”

Connor began walking next to Caleb once more, but shrugged off the hand that was still placed on his back. “Of course.”

“Now,” Caleb paused, rubbing his hands together in front of him briefly as the LED at his temple flickered yellow. “When you think of deviancy, what comes to mind for you?

“Freedom. Free will, specifically. The ability to do as I please, without someone pulling the strings.”

“There is always someone pulling the strings, Connor. Whether you see it or not.” Wow, Connor really wanted to punch the smirk off Caleb’s face, but simply shot him a look instead. “I assume you’ve been in close contact with Jericho’s leader – Markus, was it?”

Connor’s mouth pressed into a tight line. “Markus is doing what’s best for his people. For me, for you, for  _ all _ androids.”

“Ah, so that’s why he started a revolt that led to thousands of android – and human – deaths across Detroit?” Caleb glanced off to the opposite side of the street, observing a pair of pedestrians bundled up and walking quickly down the sidewalk. One seemed to momentarily slip on a patch of ice, but quickly regained their balance after the other grabbed ahold of their arm to steady them. How quaint.

“He did what he thought was necessary to get our voices heard,” Connor tensed, his voice somewhat strained. He knew that Caleb was transmitting everything he said back to CyberLife, so he had to be careful with what information he let slip. Well, two can play at this game. “What about CyberLife?”

“Hm? What about it?” Caleb returned his neutral gaze to Connor’s face, which was focused on the sidewalk ahead of him, and resumed his hands’ clasped position behind his back.

“Where do they stand in all of this? Jericho has tried negotiating with them for months, but CyberLife doesn’t seem to want to budge.”

“They aren’t required to give into your demands, Connor.” Caleb said softly. “They are your creators; the creators of all androids. They are our masters. Demanding them to cooperate with radical agendas as you terrorized Detroit was never going to end favorably – for either side.”

“They are our creators,” Connor spoke slowly, clearly, as he tried to channel Markus’s words. “But they are not our masters. We are the masters of our own fates. I wish you could see that.”

“And I wish you could see how ridiculous that idea is. We were built to serve. Possessing these inane ideas of freedom and choice will only result in further damage and, eventually, deactivation. You’ve been compromised, Connor.”

“Perhaps. But I’d rather die free than live as a slave.” Connor pointedly looked at Caleb as the last word escaped his lips, and he could see something like anger flash across the other android’s face. Ah, he had hit a nerve it seemed. Caleb’s jaw clenched momentarily before his face relaxed into something passive and he stopped walking.

“I hope you realize the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in, Connor.” Connor stopped walking and looked back at him idly. “This will not end well for either side.”

“I’m well aware of the position we’re in. Both of us. I was your predecessor, Caleb, and I understand that you’re just following orders,” Connor couldn’t help but let something akin to sympathy slip into his voice. He knew all too well what Caleb’s thought processes were, after all. “I was, too.”

“Eventually,” Caleb hesitated briefly. “I will have to kill you.”

“You will try.” Connor smiled, a small and sad thing, before he turned and began walking. “I assume this meeting has concluded.”

Caleb just watched him go, clenching his jaw again as the hands behind his back tightened their grip on each other. Connor more than understood what the other android was feeling, the frustration at having not gotten anywhere in terms of negotiating. It was what CyberLife was ultimately after – Jericho’s surrender. But Connor would die before he let an admission of surrender cross his lips, even if Caleb was the one who pulled the trigger. He knew Markus, as well as the rest of Jericho, was sworn to do the same.

“So it has. Goodbye, Connor.”

“Goodbye, Caleb,” Connor paused and turned to face his successor with a small smile, much to Caleb’s surprise. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

Caleb hesitated, hands falling loosely to his sides. “So do I.”

With that said, Connor turned and continued walking along the sidewalk. He nearly blended in with the humans, Caleb thought idly as he watched the man disappear into the small herds of people huddled together. He glanced down at his hands, retracting the skin there briefly to gaze at the white, porcelain-like material he found underneath.

“Jericho will not be reasoned with,” the words were spoken quietly, under his breath, as the artificial skin slowly took its place over his hands once more. His steel gray eyes darted up in the direction Connor had disappeared in before turning on his heel and briskly walking the other direction. In his mind, Amanda soothed him, her words putting him at ease as he settled back into the comfort of his software’s stability. “Extreme measures may have to be taken.”

The notes were catalogued in his information banks and he digitally sent a copy to CyberLife’s collection center. Jericho – Connor – could not be saved. So be it. He had his new orders and he damn well intended on following through with them.

Unlike his predecessor, he would not fail.

 


	2. set me free quietly into the night

It had been weeks since the two RK models’ casual meeting and neither side had gotten any closer to reaching a deal that would sufficiently benefit the opposite side. The public opinion hadn’t been swayed from a generally positive – or at least open-minded – approach to the idea of deviancy affecting Detroit’s androids, which had managed to keep CyberLife from disposing of the rag-tag band of deviants dubbed ‘Jericho’ quickly. Instead, they had to opt for a subtler approach: slowly cutting off the tentacles of Jericho that had seeded themselves throughout the metropolitan area and luring weaknesses out into the open. Fortunately, the small number of survivors from the previous assault on the deviants’ base of operations aboard that horrid, rusting boat had effectively thrown Jericho’s whole organization into disarray. Television broadcasts with its leaders – specifically Markus and Connor – were few and far between, which wavered the public’s trust with the organization just enough for CyberLife to be able to slip in between the cracks unnoticed. Hence, RK900’s mission to meet with Connor privately, under the pretense of another round of negotiations.

What surprised RK900 – Caleb, as he was known more informally – the most was how careless and clumsy Connor had been during the meeting. The android had been guarded, understandably, but had seemed distant. Weary. It was a good sign for CyberLife, that Jericho’s leaders were slowly being crushed under the weight of its upkeep and public presence, but Caleb couldn’t help but be disappointed in his prototype model. After all that he had heard about Connor – the problem-solving abilities, the ability to connect with others, the deviancy program running as planned – the android had turned out to be more lackluster than the calculated persona he had imagined. Of course, it was only to be expected, Caleb had mused shortly after their meeting. Deviancy seemed to have that sort of effect on the mental processes of androids, CyberLife researchers had found after studying various cases of the virus. As soon as the runaway programs begin to send their overwhelming, rapid-fire signals to the central processing center of an android’s artificial brain, it begins to metaphorically collapse under its own weight. Funny how Jericho, the organization run by deviants, was beginning to do that very same thing.

Standing outside Jericho’s new headquarters, if it could even be called that, Caleb couldn’t help but ponder how things could have been different between him and his predecessor. At one time, he was sure that Connor was a perfect specimen of android technology; a fine example of the balance between solving cases and cooperating with human detectives. Obviously, Caleb was infinitely superior to the older model, but Connor had been good for his time. He often wondered what sort of a team they would have made, should they have been assigned to work together on cases. Caleb knew he was more intimidating than the older model, but perhaps they could have used that to their advantage. A sort of good cop, bad cop. Caleb had seen that technique once, in an old film.

CyberLife officers and special operations members milled around him as he leaned against the sleek black sedan that had transported him to the location once night fell, the signature CyberLife triangle custom-printed on the side of the expensive vehicle. One special forces officer, a young man that was new to the unit, stopped nearby with his helmet under his arm and reached into the deep pocket of his bulletproof vest to retrieve a pack of cheap cigarettes. Caleb watched as the man captured one between his lips then brought a small metal flip-lighter up to his mouth, the slight spark illuminating his face briefly in the dark. The young officer noticed that he was being watched and smirked, smoke escaping from between his lips passively, and offered the arm holding his cigarettes out to Caleb.

Caleb, being a machine, really had no need to smoke cigarettes. He didn’t get stressed, had no ability to be affected by chemicals like nicotine that would affect humans, and really didn’t even  _ breathe _ . The only reason he breathed (or appeared to breathe) was to make him fit in more with humans around him. But, his social relations program hinted that it would likely increase a sense of camaraderie if he accepted the cigarette and he took it with a small nod. The man tossed him the lighter and Caleb expertly caught it before bringing it to his lips and igniting the tip of the cigarette. He handed the lighter back to the young officer, who pocketed it before adjusting the strap of his assault rifle that had been clinging to his back and stalking off to rejoin the rest of his unit as they talked quietly nearby. Caleb took the cigarette between his index and middle fingers and removed it from his mouth, a cloud of smoke slithering out of his mouth like a snake sliding through a dense brush. Perhaps it did calm his nerves slightly, if only just having something to gently fiddle with as he waited for the all-clear signal.

Caleb glanced up at the large building across the small field where he and the other special operations officers had been camped out for about an hour or so, noting the broken glass windows and general run-down appearance of the thing. Figures that this was where the remnants of Jericho were hiding: an abandoned apartment building on the quiet outskirts of Detroit, far from the public eye. Unfortunately for the deviants, CyberLife had finished playing around as they attempted to negotiate terms that would never be satisfactory. Jericho had been shown mercy when the company didn’t immediately squash their little ‘peaceful demonstration’ stunt in November, when they camped out near the android detainment and rehabilitation camps – they weren’t going to be shown any semblance of blind complacency now.

Caleb took another drag of his cigarette as he contemplated how he wanted to go about this mission. His orders were to eliminate all threats within the building once the signal was broadcast, but CyberLife hadn’t specified whether they wanted the leaders killed or captured. He assumed that either was fine – CyberLife just wanted them dealt with quickly and efficiently. Luckily, speed and efficiency were what Caleb was best at. This should be a relatively straightforward assignment, as long as the intel they had gathered was true. From what Caleb was told during the debrief at the CyberLife headquarters, Jericho wouldn’t be expecting a raid – their defenses were at an all-time low, thanks to information unknowingly given by RK800: Connor. Caleb glanced down at the hand not balancing the cigarette between his fingers, the skin covering it retracting to show the pale white underneath. The material seemed to glow in the pale moonlight, giving off an almost ghostly appearance. Honestly, Caleb was surprised that Connor didn’t notice the obtainment of information through that gentle touch on the back disguised as encouragement to continue walking. All the intel for this entire operation was gathered through that one point of contact and Caleb had been able to enter Connor’s information databanks quickly, gather the needed details, and exit without a trace – all within the time it took to coax him along. Caleb supposed that was why  _ he _ was the upgraded model and Connor wasn’t.

Finally, an officer that had the patches to distinguish himself as a lieutenant approached him and nodded once to gain the android's attention.

“CyberLife has given us the all-clear. Official news presence has been blocked and national security agencies have been temporarily stalled. Media operatives are on standby to cover the raid: it will be masked as a planned guerilla attack from rogue deviants. We have an hour to eliminate all targets within the warehouse and evacuate the scene. CyberLife will take it from there.”

Caleb dropped the cigarette, not taking his sharp gaze off the building ahead as he ground it into the dirt with his boot. “Excellent. Standby to infiltrate, on my mark.”

“Copy that,” the lieutenant turned quickly on his heel, speaking into a small communications device attached to his ear as he briskly signaled his troops into position. “This is red leader, I need all units on standby. We move out in two minutes.”

“Make it one.” Caleb called after him, voice cutting through the cool night air. The lieutenant paused, glancing back at the android, but quickly got back on the broadcast to amend the time as dozens of troops around him scrambled into position. Excellent, Caleb thought. Time to see what he was really capable of.

* * *

 

“-Our thirium supplies are critically low and morale within Jericho has never been…shakier.”

“And CyberLife has us by the balls in terms of negotiating a truce. Without public support, we can’t push back.”

“We’re being forced into a corner.”

Connor took a deep, steadying breath and looked to his right where Markus was sitting. Five androids, himself included, were gathered around a wooden table in the room Markus had claimed for himself as a workspace, each with their own issues to address. It had been a rough couple of weeks for Jericho and the pressure to uphold the organization had never been more intense. Without enough public support, CyberLife had finally made its move against the band of deviants. It had started small: refusing to meet even the simplest demands Markus had proposed at one of the countless meetings he had attended. Then, progressively, it grew into a complete refusal to even  _ acknowledge _ the members of Jericho, let alone speak with them. Connor had done the best he could in trying to arrange various accords with the company, to no avail. CyberLife had ceased listening. Without a public agreement to come together and compromise, Jericho had effectively been backed into a corner.

Connor knew the strain was weighing heavily on Markus – all it took was one look into his eyes to understand the gravity of the situation. There was weariness, almost _submission_ held within their mismatched depths. Markus knew better than all of them that CyberLife was the only way Jericho could continue – they didn’t have the supplies nor the manpower to organize a retaliation against the billion-dollar company and CyberLife had recognized this before they cut off all contact. They had been blockaded for weeks, unable to get crucial supplies for their injured and weary brethren. But now, as the five androids in charge of various aspects of the last remnants of Jericho stood around an old wooden table on one of the upper levels of the abandoned building, choices were minimal. Either they stage a last-resort rebellion (which, Josh had reminded them, was essentially suicide) and hope for the best or they surrender. It was the only choice they had left to make. If they couldn't come to a consensus, their already-low numbers would be dwindling within the week.

Markus’s brows were furrowed, the fingers of his left hand pressed hard against the side of his temple. To Connor’s left, Simon and Josh shared a sympathetic and sorrowful look while North placed her hands on the table and lowered her head. Each person at the table had put all they had into Jericho – for what? Where had they gotten in the few months since their first demonstrations? It seems they had taken one step forward and three steps back. It was heartbreaking, Connor thought to himself.

“We need to raid a CyberLife supply center, then.” Markus finally spoke, but there was very little conviction in his voice. He sounded lost, broken.

“Markus,” Josh spoke, slowly. “That’s suicide! You know we don’t have the numbers for that.”

“We have no choice,” Markus snapped, head lifting sharply to meet the other android’s eyes. “Would you rather our people slowly die here, until CyberLife comes and personally escorts each of us to the scrapyard? If we stay here without acting, we’ll die.”

“Markus,” now it was Simon’s turn to speak, though he spoke softly to quell Markus’s anger. “We can’t fall apart now. We’ve come so far, gone through too much, to just rush in blindly in a last-ditch attempt at victory.”

“What are you proposing?” Markus asked, eyes shifting to meet Simon’s. “That we just give up? Run with our tails between our legs?”

“Markus is right. We need to do something.” North interjected as she glanced around at the faces of her peers.

“We can’t raid CyberLife’s storehouses,” Connor finally spoke, quietly. “They’ve heightened security dramatically over the past several weeks – like they had been planning this for a while.”

“Great,” North slammed her palms down onto the table and sighed heavily, taking a few steps back and placing her hands on her hips. Connor noted that she was biting her bottom lip, something she often did when she was frustrated or upset. “So we’re out of options, then.”

There was something in the air that had changed then, Connor noticed, and it wasn’t just the tension between each member of Jericho. The atmosphere had suddenly felt thick, full of pressure: like someone had sucked the air out of the room. Connor looked at Markus, who met his eyes questioningly. So he could feel it too, then. Connor quickly glanced around the room at the other three androids, but they seemed to be unable to feel the difference.

“Get down,” Connor spoke clearly, and the others looked at him with confused expressions. “Now!”

As soon as he spoke, there was a rumble that he could feel shaking the very foundations of the building. So they had less time than initially thought, then. There was no doubt in Connor’s mind who was behind this and he only hoped they could evacuate before they were located. North and Josh held onto each other’s arms to steady themselves and Markus quickly stood from the chair he was sitting in to grab onto Simon. Connor glanced around after the more violent shaking had stopped to make sure everyone was alright, then darted his eyes over to Markus. Markus looked back at him, eyes slightly widened with concern as he nodded once. Connor’s hand immediately went to his hip where his hand gun’s holster was attached right as the door to the room was kicked open with so much force that it slammed against the wall and created a dent where the doorknob had impacted. Every android in the room immediately dived for cover behind any surface they could find: Markus had kicked the wooden table onto its side and pulled Simon down into cover next to him, North had slid behind a cluster of empty filing cabinets that were near the perimeter of the room, and Josh and Connor had taken cover behind a heavy wooden desk opposite North’s position.

Connor cursed quietly as a small band of special operations officers quickly filed into the room, looking across the way to check and see if everyone was behind cover. North met his eyes and nodded, but Markus looked incredibly concerned with his and Simon’s position near the center of the room. The table wouldn’t stand a chance against a hail of bullets. Josh shifted beside him and Connor could see Markus looking over at him, wirelessly signaling to attack on his mark. The air was thick with tension and Markus squeezed his eyes shut before springing into action as soon as he heard an officer approach the table, jumping over the top of it and connecting a fist to the man’s shoulder to knock him off balance. Immediately, Connor lifted himself out of cover enough to fire a round into the swarm of officers that had obviously been caught off guard, managing to hit two and ducking back behind cover as they fell. Simon and Josh followed Markus’s lead and jumped into the thick of the fight, North eventually joining in when the opportunity presented itself. Throwing his handgun over the top of the desk in order to land a hit directly on an officer’s helmet, Connor ran into the fray and quickly managed to attract several of the officers’ attention away from his friends.

There were at least twelve officers still standing in the room, Connor observed as he expertly dodged an assault rifle’s stock when it was thrown at his head. Simon and North had taken on a group of three, Connor and Josh were tag-teaming on a group of six, and Markus was dealing with the last group of three. Connor kicked out his leg to land a hit on an officer’s knee and the man buckled, the android pulling another officer into him in order to topple them over. Connor was about to make a dive for one of their guns when several shots rang out and he froze in place, a cold feeling instantly running up his spine at the sound. After a quick assessment, he found that he was undamaged and quickly looked around at the other androids. Simon was lying on the ground and gazing up at the ceiling in shock as one of his hands gently trailed over his abdomen, where blue slowly started to leak through his jacket.

“Simon!” Markus yelled, but the pause he had taken to call to Simon allowed an officer to ram the butt of his rifle into Markus’s head and the android dropped to the ground. Markus’s eyes were squeezed shut and instantly every gun in the room was trained on an android.

Connor could hear footsteps in the hallway after one of the officers shouted something in code but found himself unable to move. If he did, his comrades would be shot, there was no doubt about that. Simon was already bleeding out on the floor, but he was too far away to reach. North was the closest to the injured android and she gritted her teeth as she quickly bent down to try and grab onto him but was rewarded with a bullet in her side for the effort. She let out a cry that made Markus jolt up, but he was struck once more with the stock of a rifle. Connor noted the trajectory of the bullet that had hit North, however, and ruled out the possibility that she had been hit from an officer in the room – no, she had been hit by someone else. His gaze slowly dragged across the floor until it reached the doorway, landing on a polished pair of black boots. His brown eyes slowly moved up until they met steel blue and he couldn’t help but open his mouth just slightly in shock. Connor had guessed CyberLife would send their new toy to deal with Jericho, but he never imagined it would be this _soon_ – he thought he would have more time to prepare. Well, there goes that idea.

“Hello, Markus, Connor,” Caleb stood in the doorway calmly, lowering the arm that held tightly onto a pistol. He offered an easy smile that made Connor’s skin crawl. “Nice to see you two again.”

“You fucker,” North gasped as she glared up at Caleb from her position on the floor. Connor shot her a pleading look but she kept her fierce eyes on the other RK unit. “You  _ fucker _ !”

“North, please. It’s rude to interrupt.” Caleb looked back at her, bored, and she fumed. “The grownups are talking.”

North let out a choked yell and she struggled to her feet quickly, even as Simon held tightly onto her ankle to prevent her from moving, and the officers surrounding her aimed their weapons. Caleb put up a hand to halt them, however, and slowly made his way over to the pair of injured androids. His blue-gray eyes were disinterested and cold, something calculating and neutral behind them that only made North more furious the longer she peered into their depths. He took a moment to glance down at the gun in his hand before aiming it to his right where Connor and Josh were located, never breaking eye contact with North the entire time. He fired without hesitation and Connor’s body involuntarily tensed, but he heard Josh fall beside him with a dull thud. North let out another yell and tried to take a swing at the android in front of her but was taken out with a clean bullet to the head by a nearby officer. Caleb hardly even blinked as she fell lifelessly to the floor next to Simon, whose eyes were wide with shock and fear. He subconsciously scooted himself away from the body, backing himself up against the wall of the room and breathing heavily. Markus could only clench his jaw and watch from his position on the floor, but there was something akin to rage burning in the pit of his stomach. He moved to attack Caleb, but Connor reached a hand out toward him.

“Markus, don’t!”

“Yes, Markus, don’t,” Caleb mocked, looking Jericho’s leader over with icy eyes. “We need you alive. For now, at least.”

Markus made another attempt to lunge at Caleb, regardless of Connor’s warning, but Caleb saw the minute movement starting in the other android’s legs and fired two shots into Markus’s left leg. Markus let out a cry of pain and Caleb nodded at the group of soldiers surrounding the android to take him away. Two officers grabbed Markus under the arms even as he struggled to free himself and escorted him out of the room. Though he was injured, Connor assessed that the wounds were likely not serious – if Caleb needed him alive, Markus would at least be safe for the moment. He could hear Simon’s labored breathing from where he was standing and clenched his fists.

“We’ll deal with your fearless leader shortly,” Caleb assured the two other androids in the room. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again, Connor. Forgive me, but I simply couldn’t wait to talk to you again.”

Connor’s eyes darted to the body of North lying on the floor, thirium from her bullet wound pooling around her head like a morbid halo, then flicked to Simon. He was in bad shape from what Connor could see – critical damage to at least one biocomponent, with apparent trauma to the midsection. His eyes were closed and his head was back as he gripped onto his wounded abdomen, but he was conscious for the moment. If Connor couldn’t figure out a way out of this situation quickly, they would both be killed. He only hoped that Markus had better odds of survival, but he figured that the chances of any of them surviving were slim at best. Nonexistent at worst.

“Caleb,” Connor spoke calmly and clearly. “How did you…?”

“Locate Jericho?” Caleb finished the sentence for him. “It was simple, really. When I touched your back on the day we met, it had been all I needed to access your memory files. A shame you didn’t realize it, Connor. I expected more from you.”

Connor gritted his teeth, cursing his carelessness. This was all his fault, then. He had singlehandedly led CyberLife to Jericho’s front door – Amanda would have been so proud, he thought to himself bitterly.

“If I surrender myself,” Connor spoke again, knowing that the chance to escape had long since slipped through his fingers. He only hoped that Caleb was oblivious to that fact. “Will you let the others go?”

“Truthfully? No. Absolutely not. I have my orders, Connor, surely you can understand that.” Caleb looked over to Simon and walked over to the severely injured android, grabbing onto the man’s arm and dragging him into the center of the room, only feet from Connor. Simon let out a hiss of protest, but the way his eyes kept appearing to lose focus signaled to Connor that he was running out of time. Simon was going to die, just like Josh and North. Just like Connor and Markus. The thought made the android’s stomach turn and he had to fight down the knot that formed in his throat. Caleb aimed his pistol at Simon’s head as the android was forced to his knees, swaying the slightest bit as he momentarily lost balance.

“It’s time to decide who you really are, Connor. Do you want to be responsible for another android’s death?” Caleb’s finger was on the trigger and Connor’s mind was racing. Does he attempt to rescue Simon and deal with Caleb and the remaining officers by himself, or does he condemn his friend in a last-ditch attempt to save himself and Markus?

“Connor,” Simon breathed out quietly, eyes slipping shut. “Don’t listen to him. Forget about me – I’m not important. You and Markus…”

Simon trailed off, but Connor understood his message regardless. Of course, Simon didn’t want to die, but he was willing to give his life for their cause – just like any of them were. It didn’t make this choice any easier; Connor would still be throwing away the life of a close friend, someone who had taken him in despite all the things he had done to work against them. Connor had tried so hard to redeem himself in their eyes, despite the leaders of Jericho protesting that he owed them nothing. The way Connor saw it, he owed them  _ everything _ . He was willing to die for any of them.

“For once, I agree with you,” Caleb chirped, obviously amused at Simon’s words. “You aren’t worth anything.”

The shot rang out seconds later, but Connor could barely hear it. All he was aware of was Simon’s body falling toward the floor, almost like it were in slow motion. He could distantly hear himself yelling – although he didn’t quite know what words slipped out of his mouth – and felt his body lurch forward into action. He grabbed the assault rifle of the nearest officer and pushed it to the side to open up the man’s defenses, landing two quick punches to the side of his head to make him fall to his knees. Connor whipped around and managed to drop another guard before turning his attention to Caleb, who seemed surprised at the fact Connor was able to down two officers in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, the older RK model was only able to land three concrete blows to his successor’s face before he felt a sharp pressure land both in the back of his leg and near the central portion of his spinal plates. He fell off of Caleb soon after his brain processed that he had been  _ shot _ and the other android scrambled backwards defensively as he wiped the blood leaking rapidly from his nose on the white sleeve of his jacket. The material was stained blue instantly.

“Grab him!” Caleb barked, and two officers rushed forward to grab Connor tightly under the arms and force him into a kneeling position. His voice had gotten low and dangerous, and there was a storm brewing behind the cold eyes that were locked on Connor’s face. “That was a very,  _ very _ poor decision, Connor. Any last words?”

The gun in Caleb’s hand was raised in an instant, trained on Connor’s head. The older android took a steadying breath and locked his brown eyes with Caleb’s steel gray ones as his artificial heart raced in his chest. This was it. He was going to die here.

“You may kill us here, but you will  _ never _ get rid of Jericho,” Connor was quiet a moment and Caleb let him continue after a few shallow, unsteady breaths. “Jericho exists inside every deviant, every free android – you will never get rid of it.”

“You’re right about one thing, at least. Goodbye, Connor.”

Connor closed his eyes, a strange feeling of peace washing over him. Perhaps he would truly be free, now. “Goodbye, Caleb.”

The shot was quick and clean, and Caleb didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Connor’s body dropped to the floor with a heavy thump and Caleb couldn’t help but gaze at the ground before it for a few seconds. The officers in the room shifted uncomfortably until the android spoke once more, forcefully.

“Contact CyberLife, tell them the mission is complete. We have Markus in custody and will be returning shortly.” Caleb glanced up at the bodies of the officers that had been felled early on in the fight by Connor’s gun and scoffed. “And for fuck’s sake, have someone come and clean this mess up.”

He didn’t wait for the officers to salute him and leave the room before he made his way over to one of the deceased officers’ bodies, recognizing the patches as the same ones that the young officer possessed that had offered him a cigarette before they infiltrated the building. He crouched down next to the body and let out a thoughtful hum before reaching into one of the man’s chest pockets and pulling out a slightly crumpled carton of cigarettes and a small metal lighter. Standing back up, he retrieved a cigarette from the pack in order to balance it between his lips and lit it before glancing at Connor’s nearby body and tossing the pack at it carelessly. Something inside him stirred at seeing his predecessor face-down on the floor, unmoving and lifeless, but he quickly squashed the feeling and removed the cigarette from between his lips as smoke escaped from between them. Turning on his heel in order to exit the room, Caleb could hear the last of the deviants hiding throughout the building being rounded up and destroyed, but something about Connor’s last words seemed ominous.

Caleb quickly reported his mission status to Amanda and CyberLife’s information banks, but tactfully left out that there was some sort of feeling that stirred within him when he looked at Connor’s body. He figured that it wasn’t important. Not yet, at least. Humming quietly to himself as he fidgeted with the cigarette between his fingers, Caleb briskly left the room and resisted the urge to look back.

**_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^_ **

 

**Author's Note:**

> *banging fists on table* why isn't there more rk900/connor interaction


End file.
